Historic judgement for labour tenants

A historic judgement had been handed down in the protracted legal battle between labour tenants and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, according to the Association of Rural Advancement (AFRA).

Historic judgement for labour tenants
- Advertisement -

The case began more than three years ago, when Bhekindlela Mwelase and three other labour tenant claimants, who were living on the Hilton College Estate, a private boys’ school in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, approached AFRA for assistance in getting their land ownership claim settled.

After a protracted legal case, the Land Claims Court consequently granted an order appointing a Special Master of Labour Tenants on 8 December.

The Special Master will be tasked with producing a plan to implement labour tenant claims in terms of the Land Reform (Labour Tenants) Act, no. 3 of 1996.

- Advertisement -

AFRA said in a statement, that the plan must be developed in collaboration with the department, which had been refusing to implement the law since early 2000s.

“We are extremely pleased for the thousands of labour tenants and their families, whose patience, determination and struggle have been rewarded. The rights of labour tenants have been upheld by the Court.” said Laurel Oettle, director of AFRA.